This project will provide upper division students of Electrical Engineering and Physics with laboratory experience in fiberoptics and optical coatings. A new one credit course has been designed to include eight experiments in fiberoptics and two experiments in the fabrication of optical coatings. The course will build upon an existing comprehensive optics course which includes a well equipped laboratory. The equipment purchased consists of the apparatus necessary to demonstrate the salient features of fiberoptics including lasers, power meters, beam splitters, signal multiplexers, and auxiliary items. A lock in amplifier and beam chopper will also be purchased to augment existing optical coating chambers. The project draws upon existing optics programs developed at other universities under the auspices of NSF. The university will match the award with an equal amount of funds.
